- Date
- March 6, 2020, 22:43 local (Mar 7, 2020, 04:43 UTC)
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3928HMooney M20K
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200306001739A
- Case key
- 101054
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper decision to turn the airplane from the runway onto the taxiway at an excessive speed, which resulted in a loss of directional control, runway excursion, and collision with a taxiway sign.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, the air traffic tower controller requested that he "keep up the speed" and execute a "close approach" before landing. During the landing roll at night, the pilot attempted to exit the runway at an excessive speed, and the airplane "began to tilt to the right." He tried to steer the airplane back to the runway, but the airplane exited the runway and impacted a taxiway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the tower controller requested he "keep up the speed" and to execute a "close approach" before the landing. During landing rollout at night, the pilot attempted to exit the runway at an excessive speed and the airplane "began to tilt to the right." He tried to steer the airplane back to the runway, but the airplane exited the runway and collided with a taxiway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3928H
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0220
- Built
- 1979
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-6BCL, 231 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2020
- Departed
- BFM · Mobile, AL
- Destination
- MSY · New Orleans, LA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MSY · Louis Armstrong New Orleans In, runway 02, 7,001 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6.3 total · 40.9 in this make and model · 47.2 as pilot in command · 18.5 in the last 90 days · 5.5 in the last 30 days · 5.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KMSY, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 7, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.